The Art of Collaboration, a day-long celebration of New Hampshire artists working together, will take place in Concord, New Hampshire, on June 25, 2008.

Co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources, the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association, and Sulloway & Hollis, P.L.L.C., The Art of Collaboration’s goal is to illuminate the many dynamic ways that members of the Granite State’s arts community work together.

Discussion: “The Art of Collaboration”—featuring David Lamb, New Hampshire Furniture Masters, and James Aponovich, New Hampshire Artist Laureate; Bill Thomas, New Hampshire Furniture Masters, and Tom Meyers, glass and mixed media artist; and Van McLeod, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources and Rebecca Lawrence, director of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts (2-3:30 p.m., Sulloway & Hollis Gallery, 29 School St., Concord).

Public unveiling and reception: The Griffith Secretary, a collaboration between David Lamb and James Aponovich (4-5:30 p.m., Governor and Council Chambers, New Hampshire State House, Concord).

The Griffith Secretary is a complex piece of fine art by two renowned artists working in different media: New Hampshire Furniture Master David Lamb and New Hampshire Artist Laureate James Aponovich. The secretary, built by Lamb of mahogany with ebony and flame birch accents, features an upper cabinet adorned with a triptych by Aponovich. It was commissioned by Granite State resident Diane Griffith, a longtime patron of Lamb’s.

“Up to this point, every project that I’ve done with David Lamb has started with a piece of furniture that I wanted,” confessed patron Diane Griffith. “But in this instance, I simply wanted the work—I wanted to underwrite David & James’ artistic talent because it pleases me so much. These two artists come at their craft with an absolute knowledge of materials and styles. Throughout this project, they’ve pushed one another to new heights—it’s been a wonderful experience to be a part of!”

“The New Hampshire Furniture Masters are an incredibly gifted group of artists and one of the state’s most valuable resources,” noted the Masters’ Executive Director Trish Anderson-Soule. “This stunning collaboration between David and James is exciting on several fronts. It demonstrates the amplification of creative power that results when two established masters unite and underscores the depth of artistic talent we harbor right here in New Hampshire. I believe I speak for all of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters when I say that we are thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize the talents of those within our midst.”

David Lamb is a widely renowned furniture maker and founding member of the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association. Raised at Canterbury Shaker Village, Lamb was apprenticed as a young man to master European cabinetmaker Alejandro de la Cruz and later studied with Jere Osgood and Alphonse Mattia in Boston University's Program in Artisanry.He has won numerous design awards and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Art and Antiques.

An internationally known visual artist, James Aponovich is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and a lifelong resident of the state. He has exhibited widely in both galleries and major museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art. In 2005 Aponovich was honored with a one-man career retrospective at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH, and in 2006 he was named New Hampshire’s fourth Artist Laureate. His work has appeared in Art Now, Arts and Antiques, American Artist and American Arts Quarterly.

“There is nothing more exciting than seeing what happens when artists collaborate,” said Van McLeod, commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Cultural Resources. “Watching two artists cometogetherand create a pieceis agreat joy and when they work in different media and collaborate, anything can happen.”

“We are very pleased to support New Hampshire artists, furniture makers and craftsmen and women,” said Sulloway & Hollis Senior Counsel Robert Larsen. “Sulloway & Hollis has a long tradition of supporting the arts and creative endeavors. We believe the larger collaboration between the business and arts communities creates a significant creative economy in New Hampshire.”

New Hampshire’s Department of Cultural Resources includes the State Council on the Arts, the Film and Television Office, the Division of Historical Resources, the State Library and the American Canadian French Cultural Exchange Commission. The Department strives to nurture the cultural well-being of our state. From the covered bridges and traditional music of our past to the avant-garde performances and technological resources of today and tomorrow, New Hampshire’s culture is as varied as its geography and its people. This strong cultural base—which truly has something for everyone—attracts businesses looking for engaged workforces, provides outstanding educational opportunities and creates communities worth living in. Learn more at www.nh.gov/nhculture/.

Founded over a decade ago, the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association today enjoys a membership of nearly two dozen craftsmen who create studio furniture in an array of styles including Period, Early American, Shaker, Neo-Classical, Traditional, Contemporary and Art Furniture. For additional information on the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association or individual masters, please visit www.furnituremasters.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Media wishing to attend any event during The Art of Collaboration, or wishing to take photos or videotape any of the works should contact Shelly Angers, Communications Coordinator, NH Department of Cultural Resources, at (603) 271-3136; shelly.angers@dcr.nh.gov in advance.